Guild Wars 2

Currently all classes have 5 utility-skill types with 4 utility-skills each, not counting any healing or elite-skills.

All but one class: the engineer.
Engis have 4 utility-types with 5 skills each.

Ofc, in total we still have 20 utility-skills, just like all other classes, but with the new hero-point system and the introduced skill-tracks, that means all other classes can unlock 1 healing skill, 4 utilities and 1 elite with 30 Hero points, while engineers are forced to purchase 1 more utility-skill on their way to their elite, therefore spending 5 more points.

Again, the unlock costs for getting all skills are the same as for other classes, but leveling engineers will unlock more powerful skills later because of that, which spawns a snow-balling delay on unlocking further skills.

This seems like a minor issue, if not even just a unique thing for the class, but what really makes me wonder is how our specialization will handle this inconsistency with the rest of the classes’ specializations.

Do we get more than just 4 utility-skills like other specializations?
Since the engineer itself currently experiences a rather big trait-rework, will we loose 1 utility-skill per type and get a complete new utility-type with a standart amount of skills to eradicate this inconsistency?

And as additional questions:
How far is the development-process on all the TBD’s in our trait-lines?
Will we see a spotlight on the engineer itself soon, even if it doesn’t reveals our specialization yet?
In the stream about the trait-changes you stated that you’d love feedback from the community about these changes. While other classes have a reasonable insight into their changes, the engineers traits were so full of question-marks to that time, so that we can’t do anything but sit around and throw our personal wishes out there. I guess many engis would love to take you on that offer and give constructive criticism or feedback in general, if only we had a update on the current state of our class’ rework to work with.

I doubt something as radical as cutting some utilities in favor of normalizing the counts would happen. They’d have mentioned it in the stream (such a large change would need to be decided early on). Realistically, it just doesn’t take long to get to 80 with how many ways there are to level up. Any existing engineers sitting at 80 will already be able to unlock most things, if not all (depending on number of skill challenges complete).

There’s no reason for the elite specialization to have a different number of skills from the other classes. 1 heal, 3 utility and an elite are perfectly fine. Plus you have to consider that previously uncategorized skills in all classes will get a type. Engineers, for example, will have 7 kits with the changes (including healing and mortar). Elementalists will have two more cantrips (ether renewal and tornado).

I don’t think the spread is as universally even as you suggest given that.

All very valid questions. My question would be what in fact are they going to do to fix the explosives line because that’s been nerfed since 2012 and grenades don’t even get me started on that but bombs and mines have suffered greatly for a long long time now!

For me I’d like to see them do something with that, and I’d like to also know how they plan on addressing the issues we’ll face with so many abilities but also I’m hoping that the Engineer won’t be the afterthought it turned out to be at the beginning of the game particularly with the huge nerf to kit refinement and other missing elements that the class should have had.